Chronic Kidney Disease Chronic kidney disease commonly develops alongside diabetes and/or high blood pressures. Patients who suffer from either are at risk of also developing chronic kidney disease. This is because high blood sugar can cause damage to the kidneys in the same way that a car exposed to wintery weather conditions is impacted by the salt that the city will dump on the road to control for ice. The car will be ruined if not properly cleaned and maintained—and the same goes for the body’s kidneys. To prevent chronic kidney disease the patient must first address the issues of diabetes and/or high blood pressure. Obesity is also a factor in the progression of kidney disease. Additionally, chronic kidney disease can lead to hypertension if this is not already a factor. The reality is that an individual who suffers from chronic kidney disease is likely to suffer from stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, and a need to better regulate blood sugar (Gale Encyclopedia of Environmental Health, 2013).

The potential causes of chronic kidney disease include damage to the kidneys, which impairs their ability to filter blood. The kidneys are tasked with filtering out waste and water from the blood, which is flushed from the body in urine. The kidneys also help to maintain a proper chemical balance in the body. However, when one’s diet puts excess...

There are also numerous other risk factors, such as family history, age, environment and ethnicity: African Americans, Native Americans and Asians are all at higher risk for suffering from chronic kidney disease.
Once the kidneys are damaged, they fail to filter wastes as they should. Waste builds up in the body, acting essentially as a toxin. Patients suffer from lack of energy, trouble sleeping, puffiness, loss of appetite, difficulty concentrating, frequent need to urinate and so on.

Treatment for chronic kidney disease ranges from changes to diet to lowering hypertension. To decrease high blood pressure, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin-II receptor blockers (ARBs) are typically used. Medications to control blood sugar level may also be required, and lowering blood cholesterol can also help.

Other ways…